Fiee-escape



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAV HEYDRICH, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specification of Letters Patent No.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAv HEYDRICH, of the city of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Apparatus for Saving Lives and Property in Case of Fire; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in the employment of a shaft and drum having bearings permanently fixed inside of the cornice of buildings and upon which a rope or chain ladder may be wound and thus always kept free from injury when not in use, while in case of danger from lire inside of the building it shall be easily accessible from the windows and the rope or chain ladder unwound for the purpose of reaching the ground outside of the building, It is further provided with a means of preventing burglars from using the same for gaining access to the building, consisting of a well protected alarm in the-form of a ratchet wheel and spring or their equivalents.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention I will now preceed to describe its construction and operation.

On reference to the drawing forming part of this specication and in which similar letters of reference allude to similar parts throughout the several views: Figure l is an elevation of a building with my improved apparatus attached. Figs. 2 and 3 are detached views of the cornice containing the apparatus. Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are detached views of the barrel and shaft, and Figs. 7, 8 and 9 illustrate the arrangement for operating the latter. Fig. 10 shows the alarm wheel and spring.

A is a shaft resting in the bearings b, b, secured inside of the cornice of the building. It is provided with a drum B, which is confined inside of the liy C and serves to receive an endless wire rope or chain al to 27,127', dated February 14:, 1860.

which is attached the basket D. The drum B is loose on A, whereby it is permitted to follow the motion of chain d, when the latter is brought into action, the shaft A being, on account of its connection with other parts (hereafter described) required to remain idle. To the shaft A is further secured the chain or rope ladder E, the opposite end of which, when unwound may be hooked to eyebolts e e provided for the aurpose. The means for operating the sha t A consist in the bevel wheels 7 and g and a key H fitted to a square on the axle of the latter and so placed as to be in convenient reach from the window. One side of the ladder E' is provided with an extension L, having a knot z' attached for the purpose of pulling open the door K on the under side of the cornice, when the apparatus is required. The fly C serves to wind up the endless chain d. L is an internal ring or wheel, secured to the cornice and into the teeth of which click the ends of spring m on the end of the shaft A. It will be easily seen, that the unwinding of the ladder or chain is im Jossible without the noise produced by this evice, which therefore eftectually prevents the application of the apparatus by burglars for gaining access to the building.

I-Iaving now described the nature of my invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to conne myself to the described construction and operation of the various parts in every minutia, but

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

The described apparatus for saving lives and property in cases of fire, when the same is permanently attached to the cornice of the building and constructed and operating sub stantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

GUSTAV HEYDRICH.

Witnesses MARTIN Korman, FR. KUEHN. 

